Andre Dawson, Tommy John, Rickey Henderson

Seriously?

a lot of impressive players on this list …. I liked several of these guys, but Dawson got my vote …

Hey Al, where do you vote for Grace in this group ??

Lee Smith isn’t doing better in the poll. He was a dominating closer in his day.

Henderson
Blyleven
Dawson
Raines
Smith

Blyleven, Henderson, Dawson, Raines, Smith, and Rice. Murphy and Morris are real close for me, but I’m not sold yet.

No surprise Andre would get plenty of votes. I would vote for him as well.

But with just one vote, I’d vote for Lee Smith

If Dennis Eckersly, Bruce Sutter, & Goose Gossage are in the HOF
then Lee Smith should not be left out of the picture. Lee was dominate.
I can recall Smith pitching in the 7th & 8th innings, not just in the 9th.

Interesting all these names mentioned all pitched for the Cubbies at one point in their careers.
Like I said he should not be left out of the team picture.

Lee numbers are solid and will be eventually inducted in the HOF.
Maybe not this year but that’s his destination.

…personal preference narrowed it down to Bly & Grace, but I can see Bly getting in via Veterans, so i voted for Grace.

are Henderson and Blyleven. I’m probably the only person on here who legitimately thinks Andre Dawson shouldn’t be in the HOF.

And for the rest of my picks….

Bert Blyleven, Tommy John, Lee Smith, Tim Raines

Henderson, Raines, Blyleven and Trammell. Dawson is a tough call, but I don’t think you can vote for Andre and not vote for Rice, and I don’t think Rice should go so I’m going to stay consistent for now and take the heat.

Alan Trammell is a hard call too, but I always give players who play a key defensive position the benefit of the doubt. But I could live with a ballot that just said Henderson, Raines and Blyleven and I could live with one that had Trammell, Dawson and Rice, I guess.

Rickey Henderson
Jim Rice
Andre Dawson
Bert Blyleven

This is Rice and Tommy John’s 15th time on the ballot, the limit a player may remain in consideration provided he is named on at least 5% of the ballots cast annually by 10-year members of the BBWAA.

My opinion: Rice gets in, John does not.

Tim Raines was the only first-time player on the 2008 ballot who received the sufficient support of 5% to stay on the ballot for 2009. He received 24.3%.

My opinion: Raines has some HOF-worthy numbers but will have to wait a few years for voters to write his name on the ballot. There are a few voters who will hold it against him about his admitted drug problems, unlike the voters who voted Paul Molitor into the Hall on his first ballot in 2004. Molitor had a cocaine and marijuana problem early in his career.

For the record, Raines testified (during the Pittsburgh Drug Trials in ’85) that he kept a gram of coke in his uniform pocket, snorted during games, and made a point of sliding head-first so as not to break the vial.

Raines’ numbers are deserving, but last year’s 24.3% doesn’t look like the voters are supporting him.

So are Mark McGwire’s numbers, but that’s another story.

+1

didn’t realize that many people read this site..

i.e. a ballhawk’s perspective, I’d vote for Rickey, McGwire, Williams, Dawson, Gant, GVaughn, Grace and Bell.

But as a baseball fan, my ballot would be
Rickey,
Dawson,
Blyleven,
Rice,
John,
Smith,
McGwire,
Raines.

Seems like a lot, but IMHO, Dawson, Blyleven, John, Rice are long overdue, with Smith not that far behind. So in a more rational world, my ballot would only be Rickey, McGwire and Raines.

Dawson, Blyleven, Morris, Henderson

I’ve always petitioned for Dawson to be in the hall, but Gracey is one of my favorite players.